1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to temperature detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advance of micropatterning, increase in the operating speed, and high-integration of a semiconductor element, an amount of self-heating of a semiconductor integrated circuit (large scale integration (LSI) circuit) increases. Also, the chip temperature of a semiconductor integrated circuit (LSI circuit) rises. The rise of the chip temperature causes the need for controlling electrical characteristics, such as a reference clock frequency to be used for a circuit operation and impedance of an output driver, according to a change in the temperature. A temperature sensor or the like provided outside a semiconductor integrated circuit (LSI circuit), which has a thermal diode or a thermistor, is used as a monitor for monitoring a temperature (see, for example, JP-A-10-260082).
In the temperature sensor described in JP-A-10-260082, the temperature sensor can measure a temperature with high precision, the cost thereof increases, and that the mounting area of the temperature sensor is increased. Additionally, because the temperature sensor is provided outside the semiconductor integrated circuit (LSI circuit), the number of measurement points cannot be increased.